Laments of the Different
by musiclover3
Summary: Fruits Basket AU On Elizabeta's first day at World Academy, she finds herself falling head over heels for a particularly prissy pianist, injuring a trigger-happy anti-socialist, befriending a sociopathic violinist, and turning an egotistical albino into a cat. Wonderful. Hungary/Various


_A/N:_** This is based off of the anime/manga Fruits Basket, only with the Hetalia characters instead. You don't have to read Fruits Basket to understand this story, and, besides the fact that this is based off of the same curse in that manga, the whole story won't be the same. There will be no spoilers for Fruits Basket in this, so if you choose to read that manga or watch the anime, you won't have any spoilers. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia: Axis Powers or Fruits Basket**

* * *

_**Laments of the Different**_

* * *

_A rice ball doesn't belong in a fruits basket. – Tohru Honda_

* * *

There were three things that Elizabeta Hedervary did not believe in: Love at first sight, fate, and miracles.

Well, scratch that.

There was _one _thing that she did not believe in, and that was miracles. Love at first sight and fate was something that she had always wholeheartedly believed in. Having been always a lover of fairytales, those two things had always been her basis of beliefs in romance. One simply couldn't have both without the other.

Miracles, on the other hand, simply did not happen.

If miracles were real, then thousands of people would not be dying every day, dozens of different diseases would not be plaguing the world, and love would never end in heartbreak.

But, then again, perhaps she didn't know the true meaning of the word 'miracle'.

But, things like that just did not happen anymore. The world, in her opinion, had always only ever been filled with darkness and hatred. But, she also knew that it was also filled with so much more than that. Love, beauty, and so many other things were around somewhere in the world; it just took some time to find them. Elizabeta was someone who liked to find the good in others, but she just couldn't help herself from focusing on all of the bad qualities of others that were just staring at her straight in the face. They were there, and she knew that one could not just ignore them. She had many bad qualities herself; she hoped one day that someone could dismiss those and focus on all of her redeeming traits.

She was a hopeless romantic; she would never deny that fact. She had spent her entire life dreaming about that one person who would sweep her off her feet and splash some color into her dreary life. A kiss in the rain, a romantic serenade; all of those romantic clichés that every girl had always secretly wanted- those were the things that Elizabeta had always expected in a romantic relationship. She had gotten confession after confession from various young men in her life, but they had never hit the mark for her. They weren't _the one._

Elizabeta had always believed that there was only one person out there for her. Every person had a destined lover, and no relationship, she believed, could thrive if it wasn't with that one person. When she found that one person for her, she believed that there would be fireworks, sparks; something that would make her know for sure that that person was the one for her. So far, she had not found that person, but she would never give up. Giving up had never been in her vocabulary.

Elizabeta was someone that people could call bright. Cheerful, strong, and with a nice smile; she was a girl that many young men would have killed for. She was truly one of a kind. But, she wasn't anywhere _near_ lady-like, and could hold her own quite well. With a stubborn attitude, and a rebellious streak, Elizabeta had always been a handful.

She wasn't perfect, but she had always wished that she was.

* * *

World Academy was not a school that Elizabeta had ever imagined herself attending.

It was a boarding school, and allowed dozens of students from all around the world to attend; French, Spanish, German- whatever nationality one was. As long as the student spoke English, they were allowed to attend.

It was a good thing Elizabeta had once lived in the United States.

Her father was a prominent businessman, and was always traveling around. With her mother always being busy with work, he had always been forced to bring Elizabeta with him on his travels. Although she had gone to many different countries, she was only fluent in Hungarian and English. She knew some basic words in some other languages, but not enough to get by. So, it was of great relief to her when she had found out that one had to speak English to attend the school.

Although World Academy was expensive and hard to get into, with her father's connections, she had been able to easily get in. Truthfully, she felt like she was cheating, but she wouldn't complain. After all of the traveling she had done so far in her lifetime, she hadn't had the time to truly make any long lasting friends, and she was getting tired of the constant moving around and having to settle down somewhere else. World Academy was her chance of changing all of that, and so she had immediately jumped at the chance to attend when her father had brought the subject up.

She had a feeling that he had started to become sick of her, but, the feeling was mutual. She, of course, loved her father, but spending so much time with him had become tiring. She wanted freedom and a fresh start. She wanted a chance to be _normal._

The skirt she was forced to wear was a little too short for her tastes, (although, she had to admit, it looked good on her) but, she supposed the blazer made up for it. It looked professional, and it helped that it looked attractive on her.

However, she knew that she would miss the freedom of being able to wear anything she wanted to school. Being able to pick out flowing skirts and cute dresses had been the highlight of her days on her travels, but, because of the school's policy, she would now have to give that up for a fancy blazer and a short skirt.

She couldn't say that she minded very much. World Academy was her chance of freedom.

_It's time for a fresh start, Elizabeta. _Steeling her resolve, she straightened out her blazer, and stepped inside her new home.

* * *

If Elizabeta had been claustrophobic, she would have fainted the moment she stepped inside the school. Although the hallways weren't completely full of students, and there was some room to navigate, there were still a good number of people around. If Elizabeta weren't so good with people, she probably would have had a panic attack right in the middle of the hallway. (Which would have been quite embarrassing.) As she pushed her way through the sea of people to her locker, she noticed quickly enough the various nationalities that were present. It seemed that World Academy had students from all around the world. (Hence the name.) It was a unique school, that was for sure, and she couldn't help but like it right away.

She sighed in relief when she had finally reached her locker, quickly putting in her combination. She placed some of her books carefully into her locker, trying to keep it organized, and yet not spending too much time on it. _I still need to find my dorm after all. _Putting the last of her books into her locker, she was just about to close it, when she suddenly felt someone grab her shoulder. Letting out a gasp of alarm, she thrust her elbow into the attacker's face.

Her eyes widened when she saw the young man behind her, clutching his nose with his hands, his eyes closed in pain. He was cursing in German, obviously not at all happy that she had just thrust her elbow into his nose.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Automatically, Elizabeta grabbed the young man's hands, gently taking them away from his nose. "Let me see." It was then that she managed to get a good look at him. He had choppy blonde hair reaching his chin, cut into a simplistic bob cut. He had a white beret on his head, and was adorned with the standard male uniform. He was attractive in a way, but definitely not her type. As if he knew this, he gave her a scowl, looking up at her with irritated green eyes. "What was that for?" he snapped, his hand inching toward his side. As if realizing that nothing was there, he tightened his hand into a fist, looking even more irritated than before. "I forgot they confiscated it," he muttered under his breath. It was obvious by his posture and tone of voice that he wasn't exactly a people person, and he looked as if he wanted to bolt from her touch right then and there.

Elizabeta pursed her lips, taking her eyes away from his nose. "Confiscated what?"

He looked up at her, his green eyes shining in a way that, admittedly, made her uneasy. "My gun."

Oh.

_Oh._

Great. She had just injured a trigger-happy anti-socialist. The school year was off to a lovely start.

"Your gun?" Elizabeta looked at him doubtfully, a little hesitant to be so close to him.

He grunted in affirmation, still hunched over to let her have a better look at his nose. He looked away for a moment, then turned back to face her, looking slightly impatient. "Well?" he said gruffly. "Is it broken or what?"

Elizabeta bit her lip, gently prodding his nose. "I don't think so," she replied, giving him a sympathetic look when he flinched at her touch. "You should still probably go to the nurse though."

He gave her a half-hearted glare, standing up to his full height. "It's fine," he stated, looking away from her concerned look. He had a tint of pink on his cheeks, and, suddenly, Elizabeta realized why he had looked so uncomfortable. _He must not have that much experience with girls, _she thought in amusement, trying not to giggle at that realization. He glanced back at her, that dust of pink still on his cheeks. "You say it's not broken, right?" At her nod, he continued. "Then it's fine. It'll heal."

Elizabeta's lips quirked up. _He's adorable._

"I'm sorry for hitting you," she suddenly said, almost forgetting her manners. She usually didn't feel so remorseful for injuring someone, especially if they had deserved it, but he hadn't done anything wrong. She stuck out her hand, watching as he looked down at it warily. "I'm Elizabeta Hedervary."

Reluctantly, he grabbed her hand, giving it a quick shake. "Vash Zwingli," he said, releasing her hand and crossing his arms over his chest. He looked off to the side, as if something had just caught his attention. "You're blocking my locker."

Elizabeta blinked in surprise, almost not registering his statement. After a few moments, her eyes lighted up in realization. "You're my locker neighbor?" Almost flinching at how stupid she had sounded, she didn't notice the blush creeping up his face. "You could say that," he muttered, gently pushing her aside to get to his locker.

Elizabeta shifted slightly, watching as Vash put his things into his locker. As if realizing she was watching him, he turned around, giving her a small scowl. "What?" he demanded, closing his locker.

She sighed at his attitude. "I'm new here. Do you mind showing me to the girls' dorms?" His face turned red at that request, and she suddenly felt the urge to laugh at his embarrassment. But, deciding to act civil, she gave him a friendly smile, trying to get him to relax. "You're the only one I know here," she said calmly, still managing to keep her smile. "And I have no idea where my dorm is."

He muttered something under his breath, turning around to face her fully. He looked at her for a moment, his eyes narrowed. "I can have someone take you there," he finally said, walking away from her. He was halfway down the hall before he glanced back, seeing that Elizabeta hadn't moved from her spot. "Come on," he called, looking impatient. Chuckling at his attitude, Elizabeta moved to follow him. She walked beside him, easily keeping his pace. "How long have you attended school here?" she asked, trying to start conversation.

He glanced at her for a second, not looking at all impressed with her choice of topic. "A while."

"Do you have any relatives here?" Elizabeta went on, not willing to give up.

Vash pursed his lips, staring straight ahead. "I have a sister."

Elizabeta grinned. "Really? What's her name?" She took a step closer to him, not noticing how hasty he was to take a step away from her. He looked slightly uncomfortable with the topic of his sister, but Elizabeta waved it off as shyness. "Lili," he replied curtly, and, realizing that he didn't wish to speak with her anymore, she quieted, and that was the end of their conversation.

It seemed like hours before they finally reached their destination, but perhaps it was the silence that made her feel that way. Elizabeta had never liked silence; it was too quiet, and it gave her time to think about things. She had never liked over thinking things, and the silence had always made her feel as if she were being suffocated. Reaching the end of the hallway, Vash stopped in front of two students, both of them male.

And Elizabeta found her breath being taken away.

There stood the most gorgeous man she had ever seen in her entire life; violet eyes, stylish brown hair, glasses, a cute mole just under the corner of his mouth; she would remember her first sight of him forever. He had an air of regality and calm around him. If Elizabeta hadn't known better, she might have thought him to be _royalty. _His hands were held behind his back, and he wore the standard male uniform just like the rest, although Elizabeta couldn't help but think that it looked much better on him than on anyone else.

The young man next to him, however, she was wary of instantly.

His hair was platinum blonde, but, in the lights of the hallway, it could have easily been seen as white or even silver. His eyes were a dark red, contrasting greatly with his pale skin. He had a confident grin on his face, and it was obvious by his posture and expression that he was going to be a handful to deal with. He was the perfect picture of rebellion or recklessness, and Elizabeta easily got that impression by just looking at him. Sure, he might have been attractive, but definitely not in the same way as the young man standing beside him.

So far, everyone she had met was attractive, and she felt somewhat uneasy by that fact. She hadn't seen another girl since she had set foot inside the school. _Maybe they're all in the dorms, _she thought, trying to relax. There was no use in being nervous after all. She might as well act friendly.

The young man with the glasses noticed them first. He caught her eyes for a few moments, and she found herself unconsciously holding her breath. After a while, he looked away, and focused his attention on Vash. "Vash," he said simply, giving him a nod.

Vash looked slightly uncomfortable, turning his head away from him. "Roderich." He nodded curtly, folding his hands behind his back as well.

The albino turned to face them, his grin widening at the sight of Elizabeta. "Yo," he said, giving them a smirk. "Who's this?" Elizabeta narrowed her eyes at him, causing his smirk to widen.

"Er…" Vash looked at Elizabeta, his eyes narrowed. With a start, she realized that he had already forgotten her name. With an amused smile, she introduced herself. "I'm Elizabeta Hedervary," she said with a friendly smile. Although she was addressing both of them, her eyes were fixed on Roderich.

Roderich gave her a polite nod, pushing up his glasses. "Roderich Edelstein. It's a pleasure to meet you." He grabbed her hand gently, and gave it a light kiss, causing her cheeks to go aflame. She practically swooned right there and then, totally forgetting about the other two people in the hallway. Her smile widened as she tried to contain an excited squeal. "It's nice to meet you, Roderich." He straightened his posture, giving her a tiny smile.

Now, when Elizabeta was younger, she hadn't been the most _feminine _of girls. She had been crazy and reckless and practically a _boy. _She wouldn't dress like other girls her age, and would wrinkle her nose at anything that screamed _girl. _Her hair had been cut short, and since she had been younger and hadn't grown up yet, most of her classmates had thought that she was a boy.

In reality, she had thought so too.

She hadn't felt like a girl at all, and her parents hadn't treated her as such. She had spent most of her childhood with her father, and he hadn't been too keen on telling her that she was a girl when she was perfectly fine with being a boy. Back then, he hadn't been swamped with work, and he had spent time teaching her how to defend herself, knowing there would be a time when she would realize that she was actually a girl, and boys would be all over his daughter in a second.

She had certainly _looked _like a boy back then, and she acted like one perfectly; it was no wonder why everyone had thought she was, including herself.

But, eventually, she had found out, and, suddenly, she wanted to start acting like her true gender. So she let her hair grow out, started wearing more feminine clothes, starting _acting _like how she was supposed to. But, underneath all of the make-up and dresses, Elizabeta was still Elizabeta; she was still the kid who would run out in the rain and didn't give a damn about what other people thought, and could beat any boy at any sport, no matter how much bigger or stronger he was. She was still that little kid who thought she was a boy, and she knew that. (Although that didn't mean that she didn't get embarrassed any time the subject was brought up.)

As she grew older, she had learned to become more feminine, and that meant that she had started to grow an attraction towards boys.

And she found herself developing a strong attraction towards Roderich.

It was love at first sight, and she could practically feel the sparks around them. It must have been fate, surely, that had brought them together.

He was _the one._

"Hey." Elizabeta snapped out of her reverie, turning her attention away from Roderich, who had a slightly concerned expression on his face. Her face burned in embarrassment. She had been _staring _at him. The albino snapped his fingers in front of her face, looking both amused and annoyed at the fact that she had been ignoring him. "Snap out of it. You've been staring at that prissy aristocrat for the past five minutes." She turned even redder at that statement.

"Prissy?" Roderich murmured, causing Vash to snort in derision.

Elizabeta managed to bring a scowl to her face, trying to cover up her embarrassment. "He's not _prissy_," she snapped, not being able to help herself.

The albino raised an eyebrow at her tone, his eyes shining in amusement. "He's not? How would _you _know? You just met him." He gave her a grin, letting out a laugh that immediately made her twitch in annoyance. "Oh, don't tell me you actually _like_-" Before he could finish that statement, Elizabeta magically took out a frying pan from her bag, and swung at his head. He let out a loud curse, clutching his head in pain. "Damn it, what the heck, you unawesome witch?" he snapped, his red eyes flashing dangerously.

Vash let out a short laugh, while Roderich just raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Where in the world did you get that frying pan?" Roderich asked evenly.

Elizabeta flushed, letting the hand holding the frying pan fall to her side. "I always have it with me," she replied, managing to keep her voice calm. She sent the albino in front of her a glare. "Just in case someone tries something on me, or says something stupid."

Roderich looked even more amused at that statement, causing her to feel a sudden rush of pride.

"I should get Lili one of those," Vash muttered under his breath. He turned towards her, raising an eyebrow. "It seems you can't meet someone without injuring them somehow, huh?"

Roderich raised an eyebrow at that statement, while Elizabeta flinched, turning away to put her frying pan back in her bag. "He deserved it," she grumbled, not looking at all sorrowful.

"I didn't even _do _anything," the albino snapped, looking like he wanted to hit _her _with a frying pan.

Elizabeta snorted in derision, giving him a scowl. "You were being annoying."

Roderich sighed, sending the albino a 'you totally deserved that' look. "He always is."

"That's Gilbert Beilschmidt," Vash introduced wearily, already looking tired. Elizabeta gave him a sympathetic look, crossing her arms over her chest.

Roderich turned towards Vash, totally ignoring the muttered curses Gilbert was emitting. "Did you need something?"

Vash gave him a glance. "I need you to show her to the girls' dorms."

Gilbert perked up at that statement, making Elizabeta sniff in disgust. "The girls' dorms?" He jumped up, immediately going to stand by her side. "I'll gladly show her!" he announced, standing too close to her for comfort. Roderich scowled at that, not looking at all pleased with his statement. "No," he replied tersely, straightening out his blazer. "_I _will. We don't need another repeat of what happened _last _time you went there."

Gilbert opened his mouth to reply, but Roderich gave him a stern look, making him roll his eyes in response. "Whatever," he grumbled. "It's not like I want to spend any more time with this unawesome girl anyway." He sent Elizabeta a glare, causing her to return one of her own wholeheartedly.

Roderich sighed at their animosity, starting to walk away from the group. "Come on then. I'll show you to your dorm." Elizabeta, all too eager to follow him, quickly went to walk beside him, trying to ignore the scoff that Gilbert emitted.

"It's so obvious she likes him. Of course, I don't know why _anyone _would like that prissy pianist. He's so stuck up and snobby."

She heard Vash sigh behind them. "Tell me about it."

Roderich seemed to be immune to the insults about him, and, instead, kept on walking with his head held high, not at all affected. Elizabeta found herself admiring that about him. He had the ability to keep on going with his head held high, even after such hateful and rude comments about him were made behind his back.

Suddenly, she was angry. If he wasn't going to be angry for himself, she would gladly do it for him.

"He's so rude," Elizabeta said, letting a scowl appear on her face.

Roderich glanced at her, his face still calm. "Who? Gilbert?"

Elizabeta nodded, frowning at his lack of response. "He shouldn't say that stuff about you."

"I'm used to it." Roderich was silent for a moment. "He's right though." Elizabeta started, giving him a surprised glance. He turned his head to look at her, still managing to keep his steady pace. "You don't know me very well. We just met after all. How can you say so wholeheartedly that I am not at all how he says I am?" He showed no emotion on his face, looking as calm as ever.

Elizabeta pursed her lips, thinking the question over. "Even if you are like that," she said slowly, "he still shouldn't say that stuff about you, especially behind your back like that." She gave him a small smile. "Besides, I doubt that you're really like that. From what I've seen of you, you seem like a genuinely nice person. You're definitely a gentleman." She blushed at her last statement, quickly turning her face away from him.

She didn't notice the tint of pink on his cheeks as he said, "Thank you."

* * *

The girls' dorms were on the other side of the school grounds, in a totally different building. There were three buildings making up World Academy: One for the girls' dorms, one for the boys' dorms, and one for the school itself. She had no idea where the teachers stayed, and, frankly, she didn't really care.

They were both silent as they made their way to the dorms. Every so often they would brush hands, and Elizabeta would make a swift apology, while Roderich would give her a quiet nod, showing her that there was nothing to apologize for.

She liked to think that they were friends.

He stopped at the entrance to the building, politely holding open the door for her. She gave him a soft smile in thanks, stepping through the doors. "Do you have all of your bags?" he asked, standing outside.

She gave him a nod, nervously adjusting her bag over her shoulder. "I had them sent here a while ago."

He nodded in approval, taking a few steps away. He looked behind her in an almost wary manner, obviously not too keen on going in. "I'll see you in class then," he said, giving her a polite nod.

"Yeah," she replied, giving him a nod in return. She stood in the entrance, watching him walk away until she could see him no more. She just stood there for a few moments, taking the whole day in. In a few days, she would be starting school. World Academy allowed the students to settle in for a few days before actual classes started, although the dean requested that all students still wear their uniforms when going out of their dorms to get used to the feel of it. Still, she was grateful. Perhaps she could make more friends.

Right after that thought, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled around in surprise, her eyes focusing on the younger girl behind her. She looked about fourteen- two years younger than Elizabeta. She had short blonde hair that reached her chin, and it was in a bob cut, much like Vash's was. In all honesty, the girl was practically a younger female version of him, besides the cute blue ribbon on the right side of her head. She had green eyes like Vash as well, although they looked much more innocent and friendly than his did.

_Is this his sister? _Elizabeta thought, watching as the girl gave her a kind- if not shy- smile. "Hello," she said quietly, standing off to the side. "You are the new student, aren't you? It's a pleasure to meet you."

Elizabeta looked at her for a moment, before she gave the younger girl a genuine smile, already becoming fond of her. "It's a pleasure to meet you too," Elizabeta said, resisting the urge to give the girl a hug. "My name is Elizabeta Hedervary. You're Lili Zwingli, aren't you?"

She looked surprised that she knew this, but kept her smile all the same. "Yes. How did you know?"

Elizabeta let out an amused chuckle. "I met your brother."

Lili seemed even more surprised at that statement, but she noticeably brightened at the mention of her brother. "You met Big Brother?"

_She's too adorable, _Elizabeta thought, her smile widening. Suddenly realizing that she had almost broken her brother's nose, her smile turned sheepish. _No use in telling her. She'll just get upset, and I don't think Vash would like me telling her anyhow. _"Your brother's very nice, if not a little anti-social." She gave Lili an amused smile. "He doesn't have much experience with girls, does he?"

Lili suddenly looked a little nervous, and her smile faltered slightly. "He… doesn't have the best experience with girls," she answered slowly, as if trying to hide the real meaning behind her words. Elizabeta decided to let it go.

"Can you show me to my room, Lili?" she asked gently, causing the girl to brighten up immediately. She almost looked _relieved _at the change of subject. "Of course."

* * *

After about an hour of settling into her dorm and meeting some of the other students, Elizabeta decided to take the time to go look around the school. (Her roommate, unfortunately, had not arrived yet, but Lili spoke of her with great warmth, so surely she couldn't be all that bad, right?)

It didn't matter that Lili seemed to like everyone.

Elizabeta took her time examining the school, not at all in a rush to get back to her dorm. It was about lunchtime, so most of the students that had been there that morning were gone. It was quiet in the hallways, and if Elizabeta weren't so determined to explore the school, she would have felt uneasy by the silence and lack of people. She could hear her footsteps echo across the floors, the only sound breaking the silence of the otherwise empty hallway.

And then she heard it.

She froze immediately at the sound coming from a few doors down, the music practically hypnotizing her. It was as if it were putting a spell on her, letting her focus on nothing besides the music. It was calming in a way, yet it was almost sad, and if Elizabeta hadn't been so strong, she probably would have wanted to cry at the sound. It was clearly coming from a violin, and it was powerful, yet somehow remaining peaceful and soft. The music seemed to flow like currents, and if Elizabeta weren't so wide awake at the moment, she probably would have easily fallen fast asleep.

She had never heard anything more beautiful.

Unconsciously, she followed the music, the sound of her footsteps being overcome by the music. Stopping at the door where the sounds were coming from, she saw that it was the music room. Almost automatically, she grabbed the doorknob and carefully twisted it, the door opening almost silently. Not having the courage to close the door, she took a step inside the room, taking the time to examine the violinist. His hair was a light blonde, and he had a detached curl on the side of his head. It would have been comical if it weren't for the peaceful expression on his face. He had a Nordic Cross barrette in his hair, and his eyes were closed, his expression showing that he was totally focused on the music. His body moved with the music, and his hands seemed to know exactly what they were doing. Elizabeta suddenly felt a sudden calm come over her. She forgot everything else that had been going on in her mind, and she focused entirely on the music.

It was almost like it were magic, but she knew that it wasn't. The talent was coming solely from the violinist.

After a few minutes, he ended the song, letting the last note carry across the empty room. He turned to look at her, his eyes a dull blue. She almost gasped at the dramatic change in expression. He had looked so peaceful before, but now his expression was… well, expressionless. He looked at her, neither looking angry nor happy. He didn't seem to be at all surprised that she was there.

They just stared at each other for a few moments, neither one of them willing to look away. After a while, Elizabeta surrendered, and she looked away, taking the time to examine the room. It was nearly empty, the large windows behind the violins having blinds covering them. Besides the music stand next to him, and the various chairs scattered near the back of the room, it was empty. The lights were not on, and even with the lights coming in from the hallway, it was still quite dark.

Suddenly feeling uneasy, she turned back to look at the young man before her, his expression still the same.

After a while, Elizabeta spoke. "That was beautiful," she said, her voice coming out quietly. She kept eye contact with him. "You're a brilliant violinist."

He shrugged at the compliment, not seeming bothered by the praise.

"How long have you been playing?" Elizabeta asked, taking a step further into the room.

He just looked at her for a moment, before he spoke. "Many years; I've forgotten how long exactly." His voice was just as unemotional as his expression, although Elizabeta was not offended. She assumed that this was his usual personality. She smiled slightly. "Well, you're really good."

"_Takk_," he said simply, turning away to put his violin back in his case. "Are you new here?"

At the start in conversation, Elizabeta started, surprised. "Yeah," she replied, eager to get the Norwegian to talk more. "I just got here a few hours ago. Have you been here long?"

He straightened, turning back to look at her. "_Ja_. I'm a junior."

Elizabeta brightened at that statement. "I am too!" She stuck her hand out. "I'm Elizabeta Hedervary."

He looked down at it, then, finally, gave it a hesitant, but firm, shake. "Lukas Bondevik."

She gave him a bright smile, releasing his hand. "It's nice to meet you!"

He gave her a polite nod, turning around to pick up his violin case.

"Do you come here often? To play your violin I mean," Elizabeta asked curiously. For some reason, she felt at ease with the Norwegian. Perhaps it was because she knew that, even if he didn't show much emotion or talk very much, he wouldn't blatantly push her away. He seemed like a nice person underneath it all, even if he didn't show it often. He was certainly a good listener if anything.

"I come every day," he replied simply, walking past her to open up the door. Realizing that he was waiting for her to go outside first, she gave him a thankful smile, walking out into the hallway-

And right into Gilbert.

Letting out a startled gasp, she fell backwards, expecting to feel a hard impact. Instead, she felt a surprisingly strong pair of warms wrapping around her, catching her before she could fall to the ground. Much to her shock, the arms quickly disappeared, and two large 'POOFS' were heard. She was quickly surrounded by two large clouds of smoke, making her cough in surprise. Once the clouds were gone, and she could see clearly again, she was surprised to see no one there.

"Gilbert?" she called, looking around in a confused manner. "Lukas?"

"Damn it, she knows!"

Elizabeta looked down in shock, seeing a white- almost silver- cat with red eyes in front of her. Her eyes widened comically as she took in the cat, who sounded _just like Gilbert. _"Did… Did you just-?"

"Idiot."

She turned around, only to see a dog with light blonde fur padding over to them. The dog had a Nordic Cross barrette on the side of its hair, making her gape in shock.

No.

_**There was no way.**_

The cat looked almost _sheepish. _"Eh, hey, Lizzie."

Gilbert was a cat.

Lukas was a dog.

And Elizabeta was going insane.

* * *

_A/N: _**I needed to get a lot of information into this first chapter, so that's why it's pretty long. I was actually going to only have Gilbert turn into his Zodiac animal, but Lukas was there, and I didn't think he'd actually let Elizabeta fall to the ground right there next to him. **


End file.
